In a Dark Cemetery
by Wendymypooh
Summary: While Buffy visits her mother's grave, she gets an unexpected visit. My first BTVS story written for Fandom Stocking 2015.


"Merry Christmas Mom." Buffy Summers spoke softly, kneeling down in front of her mother's snow covered grave. She set the vibrant red poinsettia,that she carried, on top of the grave marker. "Dawn and I are doing...okay. It's been rough learning to live without you."

Tears flooded her eyes and slid soundlessly down her cheeks. She hung her head and wept. Here, alone at her mother's grave, was the only place she felt safe to cry anymore.

She had to be strong for Dawn. She had to let her younger sister know that they were going to be okay without their mom. Much like Slayering, she had to pretend that she knew what the hell she was doing. It was what her mom would want her to do.

Thankfully, she wasn't alone. All the Scoobies had rallied around her. Giles was as steadfast as ever. Willow, Xander, and Tara had stepped up to help her and Dawn in anyway they could. Anya, too. She was grateful for their love and support, but felt the pressure of maintaining a strong persona with them as well.

She was the Slayer. She had to be strong. She had to clamp down on her emotions so they wouldn't know how lost and scared and alone she really felt without her mom.

Only one person had ever made her feel safe enough to speak freely about anything she was feeling, and he no longer lived in Sunnydale.

"Buffy?"

Buffy froze. She shook her head. Her turbulent thoughts must have conjured up his voice speaking her name. She had only just succeeded in convincing herself that she was alone in the cemetery, when she felt the presence of someone behind her.

She leaped to her feet in a fluid motion, and spun around, Mr. Pointy gripped in her right hand. A masculine arm blocked her swing, and a hand gripped her wrist, stopping it in mid-motion.

Buffy looked up and found herself face to face with the man who haunted her dreams, tormented her soul, and was the keeper of her heart. "Angel?"

"Yeah Buffy, it's me."

Buffy pulled free of his hand and threw herself at him. Angel opened his arms to welcome her into them, and wrapped her tightly in his embrace. He held her as she wept for the mother she missed so much and would never see again.

Being in Angel's arms again felt so right. He made her feel so safe, loved, and protected. She breathed in his familiar earthy scent, and wished she could stay in his embrace forever.

Angel felt his passions stir, breathing in her delicate musky scent, cherishing the feel of her petite frame against his own. Even after all this time apart, the torch he carried for her burned just as bright as it ever had. Their love was eternal and no amount of distance between them or time apart would ever change that.

After what seemed like hours, but was only a few moments, Buffy drew slowly back so she could look up into Angel's face. Angel lowered his head toward her and met Buffy's eagerly upturned mouth with his own.

Angel's eyes slid shut in sweet bliss at tasting Buffy again. She was the sweet nectar that he craved. Buffy pressed herself close to him again, her hands reaching up to twine in his hair as their kiss deepened, and it was with some reluctance, and a lot of regret, that Angel broke their embrace a few moments later.

He stalked a few feet away as he fought for control of his desires. Buffy rubbed her arms together, a fine tremor running over her body that had nothing to do with the cold, and everything to do with Angel pulling away from her.

Angel returned to her side a few moments later. "I'm sorry...maybe it was a mistake to come back to Sunnydale. I just couldn't stop thinking about how hard this first Christmas without your mom was going to be for you. The more I thought about you, the more I _needed_ to see you. And well, here I am."

"I understand." Buffy said, appreciating his honesty, even as his words stung a little.

Angel hadn't left Sunnydale because he didn't love her anymore. He left because he knew it was the best thing for them both. The dreaded Gypsy curse he was under meant that they could never be intimate with each other ever again. Angelus had reared his ugly fanged face one time too many already, and it had been disastrous. Neither of them wanted to see what would happen a second time around.

Buffy reached out and took his hands in hers. "I thought I had conjured you up. I was thinking about you and wishing you were here, and then suddenly you were. No matter how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to you again, I'm so glad you came Angel."

"We have a few hours before I have to leave," Angel told her. "So let's make the best of them."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Buffy said.

Together they walked hand in hand toward the cemetery exit, each content in the knowledge that for at least for a few hours, they were together again.


End file.
